The Broken Girl
by Mimi-The-Epic
Summary: Carli Pettyjohn has always hated Zane Neiderer, her annoying neighbor.Her one and only wish is to forever silence his irritating voice.Being thrown into the Hunger Games with him after taking his sister's place, she finally has this chance.Can she do it?
1. The Reaping

The Broken Girl

Chapter 1-The Reaping

The alarm went off, symbolizing that it was time to wake up, and face today, of all days.

_The Reaping..._I thought, sitting up, and looking around.

I`d read in history books at school that The Hunger Games had been outlawed a hundred or so years ago, but then thegovernment official who had outlawed them was overthrown, and the Games were returned fifty years later. Fair? No, not really...

Introduction, right.

My name is Carli Pettyjohn, and I live in District 3. Our district definantly isn`t poor, but my mother is no millionaire, that`s for sure.

We can take care of ourself, and we have enough money. But, we aren`t rich. Actually, whenever we begin to dip into poorness, we go to the Neiderer family, an upper-middle class family that lives next door, and often leaves their children with us since they work the night shift, and don`t want to leave them alone.

Their oldest boy, Zane, was a total pain in the ass. He was tall, blonde, thin, and had the prettiest turquoise eyes I`ve ever seen. But he was made of nothing more than hot air, and ego.

The younger son, Lane, was much nicer. He was my favorite boy in the district. Although the Neiderer family consisted of beautiful blondes with striking turquoise eyes, Lane was born with black hair, and grey eyes. He was a social outcast, like me, so we got along perfectly.

And then there was their daughter, Vienna, who was the youngest of the three kids. She was about four years behind Lane, and six behind Zane, which would make Lane 13, and Zane 15, like me.

Now, onto my family.

I`m the oldest of my mother`s two children, and I take after her more than my drunk-ass father. I have long brown hair-but I hit my rebellious age early and dyed my bangs black-and bright green eyes that almost seem unnatural.

My little sister, Caylyn, trails behind me in age at a mere 12. She takes after her father, who I call my stepfather, even though I hate him, and If he tries to marry my mom, I will rip his head off. She has pale blonde hair, and blue-grey eyes. People used to always ask if she was adopted, because she looks so different from me and my mom.

I excel at hunting, with either a bow, or a scythe, which I prefer more. But, scythes are forbidden in this district, not that anyone cares. I can walk around town with one rested on my shoulders, and nobody would say a thing. Probably cause they knew how easily I could kill them.

That`s something I`m good at. Killing. Every year at the Reaping, I secretly hope they`ll draw my name, and the name of one of my enemies.

That`s why I signed up to have my name entered more than once, putting my grand total at 30. Sadly, tall blonde and stupid also had his name entered 30 times, which made my chances of getting thrown into the arena with him even higher.

I laced up my boots, and shook my mother and sister until they woke up.

"It`s tiiiime~"I sang, heart pounding with excitement.

"Alright...you head over there awhile, and we`ll meet you there."Mom smiled weakly, rubbing her tired green eyes.

I grinned, put on my purple jacket, and raced out the door.

"Happy Reaping!"Zane waved as I passed by.

"Shut up!"I grinned, throwing a rock at him.

It hit him right in the face, bringing a trickle of blood from his nose.

"Owww..."He clutched his nose, doubled over.

"Nii-Sama!"Vienna squealed, quickly rushing to aide her brother.

Vienna didn`t respond to english while learning to talk, so her parents tried every other language, until she finally responded to Japanese.

"Imu bakkin, Vienna-Chan..."Zane assured, checking to see if his nose was broken.

I pushed my way to the front of the crowd, my mom and sister dragging behind me.

"Hurry, it`s about to start!"I urged.

"Calm down, calm down..."Mom said, making sure she didn`t loose my sister.

I looked up at the stage to see Sarah Ihari standing on the stage, smiling at the crowd.

Sarah was the official announcer for our district. She wasn`t as colorful as the other people from the Capital. She had normal orange-brown hair, and normal skin. The only outstanding feature about her was her bright orange eyes. She didn`t even have a Capital accent, which made me like her even more.

The mayor stepped forward, and began talking. Reading off the names of past District 3 victors, then moved to the side so Sarah could step upto the big glass ball full of our names.

"We`ll start with the ladies~!"She exclaimed

I bit my lip edgarly as she began to dig around in it.

Caylyn clutched my legs, scared that her name would be drawn.

With a smile, Sarah pulled out a slip of paper.

"This year`s female tribute will be...Vienna Neiderer!"She exclaimed.

The small whispers that were scattered around the crowd fell silent, as two Peacekeepers retreived the girl.

"VIENNA!"Zane screamed, lunging after his sister.

"Nii-Sama!"She cried.

"WAIT!"I shouted, making over a thousand heads swivel to look at me.

"Yes?"Sarah asked.

"I voulenteer to take her place."I said bravely.

"Like hell you do!"Mom scoffed, grabbing my arm.

I shook myself free, and stepped upto the stage.

"Well, looks like we have a voulenteer...Carli Pettyjohn will be our female tribute!"Sarah said boldly.

"No..."Phoenix, my best friend, said quietly.

Phoenix was a year older than me, and by far my greatest friend.

She was about an inch taller than me, with long dark brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. We`d always go to the manga store together, but looks like that won`t be happening anymore.

I looked at the crowd, and then looked around for my mentor.

The last name on the list of past victors the mayor had read was Benehime Shinoji...

That`s when I spotted her, a tall, skinny girl with silver hair, and yellow eyes. Her hair wasn`t silver from age, as she looked only in her early twenties, but probably from genetic expiriments.

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that.

I`m one of a few children in District 3 whose parent`s voulenteered their first born child for genetic expiriments in exchange for extra income. They took me away at birth, injected me with bird DNA, and gave me back. The only thing that had changed about me is that a few months later, I began to grow wings.

I know that Phoenix was another bird-child, but I wasn`t sure who else...

My thoughts were interrupted by Sarah`s voice.

"And now, for our male tribute! Any voulenteers?"She asked.

Silence fell over the crowd.

"Okay, then."She sighed, digging through the galss ball.

_Hurry up..._I thought, shoving my hands in my pockets.

"Zane Neiderer will be our male tribute for the hundred and fiftheenth Hunger Games!"She exclaimed, sending the crowd into cheers.

Nobody really liked him, so it made sense that they cheered...

"Hey, watch it!"Zane hissed as two Peacekeepers nudged him up onto the stage.

"Dammit..."I scowled.

"Oh, hey Carli"He smiled.

"Shut up."I commanded.

He grinned, turning away fom me.

"So, theese are the little brats I`ll be teaching?"

Me and Zane spun around to see Benehime standing there, looking down at us boredly.

"We`re not brats."I scoffed.

"That was a brave thing you did, voulenteering to save a complete stranger."She said.

"Well, she`s not exactly a stranger..."I trailed off.

"Anyway, let`s get going."Benehime cut me off, guesturing for me, Zane, and Sarah to follow.

I looked back at the crowd one more time, and spotted my mother and sister crying.

I guess they were already mourning my death.

To Be Continued...


	2. The Capitol

The Broken Girl

Chapter 2-The Capitol

We were taken to the mayor`s house, and put into seperate rooms.

"Why the hell did they bring us here?"I sighed, plopping down on a couch.

After a few moments of complete silence, the door opened, and my mom and sister walked in.

"Sissy!"Caylyn ran over, and latched onto me.

I frowned, stroking her short hair.

_Final goodbyes..._I thought, looking at my mom.

She looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"You`re allowed to have a token from your district, right?"She asked, taking her necklace off.

"Yeah..."I trailed off.

She put the necklace on me.

"Here."She said.

I looked at it.

It was a Biohazard symbol, with a red diamond in the center, and black diamonds covering the rest of the design.

"This is the necklace dad gave you on your honeymoon...I can`t take this."I shook my head.

"No, you will."She insisted.

"...Fine."I said, defeated.

My sister cried on my shoulder, leaving my purple jacket wet.

"Time`s up."A Peacekeeper said, stepping to the side so my sister and mother could leave.

My sister kissed my cheek, and my mom kissed my forehead.

"Good luck."She said, taking my sister`s hand, and leaving.

The Peacekeeper closed the door.

"...Thanks."I sighed, sinking into the couch I was sitting on.

I suddenly wondered what was going on with Zane...

Before my mind could wonder any farther, I shook away the thought.

I curled up on my comfy leather couch, and drifted into a light sleep.

They woke me up after two hours, to inform me the train was waiting.

As I walked to the platform, I galnced behind me, searching for an escape route.

But, two Peacekeepers blocked my way.

I looked at Zane, and he grinned at me.

In front of us, Benehime and Sarah talked quietly amongst themselves.

I looked at the train, and swallowed my fear.

I`ve seen trains before, but never one like this. It was sleek, white, shiny, and fancy.

"Wow..."I trailed off.

"Eh."Zane shrugged, resting his hands behind his head.

We stopped at the train doors, waiting for them to open.

Of course, we had to wait a few minutes so the camera crews could see our faces.

But after being attacked by camera men, the doors whirred open.

_No turning back now..._I thought, stepping onto the contraption.

Then again, there was no turning back to begin with.

"Woah."Zane said, looking around.

The interior was facy, outfitted with velvet, fluffy carpets, and alot of furniture.

"Incredible!"I smiled.

"Where`s my room? I could really use a nap right about now."He said, rubbing his eyes.

I`ve been around Zane for long enough to know that when he`s stressed, he takes a nap.

"Right this way"One of our Capital servers said, leading him down a hallway.

I sighed, and plopped down on a couch.

"So, how ya feelin?"Benehime asked, glancing down at me.

"Okay, I guess."I smiled.

"Don`t lie to me."She sighed, leaning on the back of the couch.

I frowned.

"Okay, I`m a little nervous."I admitted.

She raised an eyebrow.

"I`m downright terrifiyed."I scowled.

"That`s a bit of an exaderation, but I`ll take it over a lie."She laughed, sitting down in a recliner.

"Benehime, what`s it like...In the arena, I mean."I asked, staring at the ceiling.

"Why do you ask? You`ve seen the Games."She brough her knees upto her chest, making herself look even younger.

"Yeah, but what does it actually feel like to be there? To be fighting for your life?"I restated my question.

"It`s...exhilirating. Every moment feels like your last. I remember I went about three days without sleeping, afraid I`d get stabbed, shot, or mauled in my sleep."She said, recalling her gruesome two weeks in the Arena.

I looked at her, hoping my eyes didn`t display too much fear.

"Oops, I didn`t mean to scare you. Sorry."She said awkwardly, resting her chin on her knees.

"No, no, it`s fine...In all honesty, I wanted to be picked. Actually, I``ve always wanted to be part of the Hunger Games...my life is too boring. Nothing ever happens around District 3, so I`m always bored."I sighed, refusing her apology.

"That`s what they all say, right before they`re thrown into the arena, too terrifyed to step off their starter plates!"She laughed, bringing back more horrible memories of past games.

I remember one year, a young girl was so terrfiyed, she ended up killing herself right on her starter plate, slitting her wrist with her district token, a dragon-shaped pendant, using the tail.

To this day, I still wonder why they let her keep her token, seeing as how it could be, and was, used as a weapon.

I shook away the memory, trying to occupy my thoughts with something else.

"So. You and Zane, what`s your story? I mean, how do you know him, if at all?"She asked, changing the subject.

"He`s...well, I wouldn`t say he`s my friend...our mothers are friends, so he and his siblings stay with us alot."I explained, suddenly thinking about what Vienna would be screaming at the TV if she saw me kill Zane.

"Not your friend? Hmm...Oh! I get it! He`s your boyfriend!"She grinned at me.

I blushed deeply

"What? No! I hate him!"I squealed, turning away from her.

"What a shame...well, do you have a boyfriend back home?"She was already talking to me as if I was her best friend. 

"Well I-"I stopped, thinking about Lane, "Yeah...I guess you could say that."

"Oooh, who is it?"She asked edgarly.

"Zane`s brother."I blushed.

She laughed hysterically.

"NOW things are interesting!"She grinned

_She`s insaine..._I thought, staring at my mentor in both worry and fear.

Sarah rushed out of her room, yelling for Benehime to quiet down.

I sighed, and looked out the window.

I didn`t know what district we were in now...5? 7? Who knows.

All I know is that we`ll be in the Capital by tomorrow.

I curled up on the couch, and drifted into a dark, dreamless sleep.

Before I knew it, Sarah was shaking me, urging me to wake up.

"C`mon, c`mon! We have to get to the training center!"She said, a twinge of anger in her voice.

I swatted her hand away, forcing myself into a sitting position.

My eyes darted to the window, and a gasp escaped my lips.

Outside, the noon sun glinted off a rainbow of buildings, and shining automobiles driving on perfectly paved streets.

"Wow..."Was all I could say.

"Welcome to the Capitol!"Sarah enthused.

To Be Continued...


	3. The Stylists, And The Opening Ceremonies

The Broken Girl

Chapter 3-The Stylists, And The Opening Cerimonies

"This place is amazing!"I exclaimed, looking around.

"No time to be surprised!"Sarah nudged me and Zane twords a car, shoving people with cameras away.

I turned around, and waved for a few cameras before climbing into the car, and forcefully pulling Zane in with me.

It was hard to pry him away from the crowd of girls that had gathered around him, but I managed it.

"Ow!"He exclaimed, crashing into the seat.

"Good one!"Benehime laughed, throwing herself into the seat, nudging Zane closer to me.

I shoved him away, and stared out my window, scowling at the crowds.

"Let`s get going!"Sarah enthused as the car began to move.

We arrived at the Training Center in no time at all, and were rushed onto an elevator.

The Training Center had a floor for ever district. You just get on, and hit the number.

Easy enough.

"Gonig up!"Benehime slammed her fist on the "3", and the elevator`s doors closed.

I looked around as we began to rise.

The entire elevator was made of crystal. The walls, the floor, the ceiling.

I looked down, and a squeak of fear escaped my lips.

"Afraid of heights?"Benehime grinned, shoving her hands into the pockets of her skin-tight sweatpants.

"N-not at all!"I shook my head, quickly looking away from the ground, which was becoming farther and farther away.

By the time we made it to our floor, I was clutching Zane`s hand for dear life.

"You can let go of my hand now...I mean, unless you wanna keep holding it."He grinned at me.

I scoffed in disgust, releasing my hand from his, and walking away.

I looked around, amazed.

The apartment was just as fancy as the train. Velvet, leather, furs, crystals, and a huge table of exotic Capitol foods!

I rushed over to the table, my mouth nearly watering.

"I wanna try it all!"I looked at Sarah, who smiled.

"And you`ll get to. Go freshen up first."She chuckled.

"Whoo!"Zane exclaimed, racing to his room, shoving a server out of his way.

"Please excuse his rudeness."I said apologetically, walking to my own quarters.

The room was amazing. The bed was huge, covered in velvet blankets, and plush pillows. There were control panels everywhere.

"I may live in District 3, but not even I have seen most of theese things..."I said in awe, looking at the control panel mounted near the closet.

I raced to the dresser, and yanked open a drawer.

I squealed in delight.

"Purple!"I pulled out a satin purple dress, quickly stripping out of my dirty clothes, and sliding on the dress.

It fit me perfectly, and was by far the most comfortable thing I`ve ever worn.

I grinned, walking out of my room, twords the table of food.

"You`re awful cheerful for someone who`s going to be thrown into a bloodbath in two weeks."Benehime analyzed, looking at the grin on my face.

"Well, I`m just trying to enjoy the luxury before It`s gone."I chuckled, sitting down.

Zane strode out of his room, wearing black sweatpants, and a plain neon purple shirt.

"I`m starved."He said, reaching for a roll.

Sarah smacked his hand away.

"Ladies first!"She barked before taking her own seat next to Benehime, who was laughing hysterically.

I quickly collected as much food as I could.

Green leaves drenched in a white sauce, pork marinated with a sweet syrup, spongy rolls swirled with cinnamon.

"Well, aren`t we hungry?"Benehime snickered, watching me collect my dinner.

"Yeah!"I said, digging in.

The server girl quietly poured me a steaming cup of something dark.

"What`s this?"I asked, looking at her.

She didn`t respond.

"It`s coffee."Benehime sighed.

I frowned ad the girl, and she walked away.

"What`s wrong with her?"I asked, watching Benehime and Sarah pour a sweet smelling cream and sugar into their coffee, and following their example.

"She`s an Avox. A traitor or criminal who was captured, had their tongue cut out, and forever forced to serve tributes."Sarah explained, stirring her coffee.

"Oh."I frowned, cautiously taking a sip of my drink.

It was hot, but I could just barely make out the sweet taste of vanilla.

Zane whined in frustration, unable to drink his without scolding his mouth.

"Small sips."Benehime instructed.

He attempted it again, failing miserably, and slamming his head on the table in defeat.

"So, what`s our strategy?"I asked, looking at our mentor.

"Well, it all depends. Do you want me to coach you seperatly...or together?"She asked.

"Seperatly!"Me and Zane said symotainiously.

"Aww, how cute. You two say things at the same time."Benehime smirked.

"Shut up!"We exclaimed, blushing.

Benehime laughed, and Sarah sighed.

Just then, the door burst open, and six colorful Capitol peopel rushed in, talking amongst themselves.

"Oop, there`s the prep teams."Sarah smiled.

"Hey, wait!"I exclaimed as I was dragged away by three of them.

"Bwaa!"Zane struggled to free himself from his own prep team.

We were dragged into our bathrooms, and forced to strip down.

"I`m not very-ow!"I squeaked as more hair was torn from my leg with hot wax.

"Sorry!"Tiffia Flarvis, a skinny blonde with bright pink and siver streaks in her hair, exclaimed.

"Just a few more, dear~!"Kayden Stenius, a brunette with golden tiger stripes in his hair, assured, patting my shoulder.

I gritted my teeth.

"Ready?"Carri Lineou, a chubby redhead with golden flowers tattoed on her face, asked, prepared to rip another patch of hair from my leg.

"Not really!"I shook my head.

RIIIP!

I squeaked, throwing my head back in pain.

"One more, and you`ll look like a person!"Kayden enthused, smiling at me.

I smiled back, although I wanted to punch him in the face.

With a final tug, the last of my leg hair was gone, and my entire body was stinging.

I was forced into a bath of a greasy liquid that burned off any imperfection on my skin.

It stung my newly-waxed skin, but I had to tough it out.

_It must be a lot worse for Zane..._I thought, grinning at the idea of him being waxed from head-to-toe.

After brutally toweling me down, my prep team rushed out of the room to retreive my stylist.

I sat on a small stool in the middle fo the bathroom, staring longingly at my thin robe.

They had made me remove it, and I hadn`t been allowed to put it on again since.

I bit my lip, scared of what my stylist would do to me.

"Ah, there she is~!"A man with orange-brown hair, and orange eyes enthused, walking into the room, my prep team trailing behind him.

"Hello."I said polietly, standing up.

"Greetings! I am Oscar!"He kissed my hand, and bowed in respect.

"Carli Pettyjohn."I smiled, already liking him.

He was natural. His hair wasn`t dyed, his skin wasn`t painted, and his irises weren`t hidden behind artificially colored contact lenses. And, like Sarah, he lacked the annoying Capitol accent.

Speaking of Sarah, he kinda looked like her...

"Well! Let`s see what we can do with you!"He clapped his hands together, and began to look me over, walking around me, examining every part of my body.

I felt shy, and slightly violated, despite the fact that he never once touched me.

"What`s wrong, dear?"Oscar asked, looking at my eyes, which were focused on the floor.

"Nothing...I`m just a bit shy...I`ve never been seen naked before..."I said quietly.

"Well, don`t worry so much, because between you and me...I`ve never let anyone see me naked, either."He grinned.

I smiled.

"Dress!"He snapped his fingers, and Kayden quickly handed him a heap of silvery-green fabric.

"Close your beautiful eyes~"He said, holding it behind his back.

I obeyed, and soon felt silk envelop my naked body.

"Okay, take a look!"He turned my to the full-body mirror.

I opened my eyes, and gasped.

The dress was made of silvery-green silk, with gold lines running down it in such a pattern that it looked like a circut board.

"Wow."I smiled, surprised by how good I looked in something other than purple.

"Thank you, thank you."Oscar bowed.

"It`s beautiful."I said.

"Yup. Now, let`s finish the rest of you."He grinned.

After twenty more minutes of styling, I walked out of the bathroom, golden lines on my shoulders and neck mimicing the pattern on the dress. My hair was curled into elegant waves, with gold streaks temporarily dyed into it.

"You clean up nice."Benehime said, surprised.

She wasn`t dressed too spectacuarly. A long, wavy pink dress, and black flats.

"Beautiful! Great work, Oscar!"Sarah smiled at him, and he bowed.

For the first time, I looked at them side-by-side.

Sarah and Oscar looked...exactly the same! Same wavy orange-brown hair, same big orange eyes, same slightly tanned skin!

"Are you two...related?"I asked.

"Is it that easy to tell?"Oscar asked.

"Well...yeah. You two look exactly alike..."I said in disbelief.

"He`s my brother."Sarah sighed.

"That`s what I-"I started.

"How long do I have to wear this?"Zane exclaimed, tugging at his shirt, which was made of the same material my dress was made of.

I looked at him, and blushed.

His suit was black, with small golden accents here and there.

His hair was straightened, it`s natural wave gone.

And his turquoise eyes were highlighted with a bit of black eyeliner.

"Wow..."I trailed off.

"You seem to like that word."Benehime anyalyzed.

"Well, yeah."I shrugged.

"Let`s get going!"Sarah enthused, dragging us to the elevator, everyone else following.

"Wait! One more thing~"Oscar snapped his fingers, and the golden accents on me and Zane`s outfits lit up, glowing softly.

"Nice."Zane grinned.

I smiled.

The ride to the square was quick, and fluid. We were soon rushed onto a chariot, and driven through the square.

As soon as people saw us, they began to cheer.

I didn`t understand why, seeing as how there were districts much more flashy than us.

"It`s the simplicity."Zane whispered.

I nodded, and began to wave at the crowd. 

While I was distracted, Zane took my hand, and raised our arms into the air, causing more cheers to arise.

"Let go of me!"I hissed quietly.

"They love it."He grinned.

I sighed, and went with it.

Finally, the chariots turned, and began to head out of the square.

Before we knew it, we were underground, under the Training Center.

"That was incredible! The hand holding, especially! Way to go!"Sarah exclaimed, hugging me tightly, then Zane.

"Thanks."I laughed.

I noticed several tributes looking at us in jealousy and anger.

"Let`s get going."Benehime urged, pushing us onto the elevator.

After another terrifying ride on the elevator of death, we`re back in our house, and I can get out of this dress.

It`s not that I don`t like it, but I don`t feel like me in it.

I quickly change into a purple nightgown, and plop down on my velvet-covered bed.

"Are you coming to eat?"Sarah poked her head into the room.

"No, I think I`ll just goto sleep now."I shook my head.

"Okay. Sweet dreams!"She smiled, closing the door.

I wriggled under the covers, and closed my eyes.

Just like on the train, I fall into a dark, dream-free sleep.

"Time for training. Get up!"It`s not Sarah who wakes me up, but Benehime.

I force myself out fo bed, and into a training uniform laid out on my dresser.

I groan in exasperation, and exchange my comfy nightgown for this skin-tight bodysuit labeled with our district number.

"Good morning!"Sarah sang, setting a cup of coffee down in front of me.

"Whatever."I sighed, dumping in cream and sugar, then grabbing a roll.

"So, what CAN you guys do, anyway?"Benehime asked, munching on a strip of bacon.

"Well, I-"I started

"Carli can throw a knife like nobody`s business. She can weild a scythe like the grim reaper himself, and don`t even get me started of her archery skills."Zane chimed in.

I glared at him, and he grinned.

"Zane can also throw knives pretty good, and he`s not half bad with a sword, either."I smirked at him, and he scowled.

"Okay then! Avoid knife throwing, archery, and swordplay in training. Save it for your private session with the GameMakers."Benehime sat back in her chair.

"Wha-?"Me and Zane exclaimed, confused.

"You don`t want the other tributes to see your real strength, do you?"She asked.

"She`s got a point."Zane shrugged.

"I guess..."I muttered, taking a bite of my roll.

"Oop! Time to go!"Sarah pulled me and Zane out of our chairs, and forced us back onto the elevator.

I held Zane`s hand so tightly that I began to loose feeling in my fingers.

Finally, the doors opened, and I raced out, looking around the gymnasium.

There were several different stations; archery, knot tying, fire starting, spear throwing, climbing, and alot more.

The instructor gave a basic set of rules:

Don`t avoid the survival techniques, as they could be the difference between life and death in the Arena.

No fighting with other tributes, save that for the Arena.

I was sorely tempted to rush to knife throwing, but resorted to swordplay instead.

I glanced at the wall of swords, and frowned.

A quick look around revealed a Scythe held to the wall by two metal clips.

I took it down, and was amazed by how light it was.

"Wow..."I ran my hand across the smooth metal surface.

I heard the Career tributes talking about me.

The career tributes were districts 1, 2, and 4. They were specially trained their whole life, then voulenteered to be tribute.

Almost every year, one of them won.

"What`s she gonna do with that?"The girl from district one-I think her name is Lia Nellae-snickered quietly.

I scowled, and began slashing at the air with the scythe, zipping past dummies, and ending my manuever by slamming the bottom of the scythe against the ground.

Th careers laughed, unimpressed.

I grinned, watching several limbs fall off the dummies.

They stared at the display, shocked.

"Not bad."Sam Trilling, Lia`s fellow tribute, shrugged.

After flying through spear throwing, knot tying, and fire starting, the day was over.

I refused to take the elevator, so me and Zane walked up three floors of steps silently.

This was the first time in days we were alone.

"Can you walk alone, or do you need to hold my hand?"He smirked.

"Shut the hell up!"I exclaimed, my voice echoing.

He laughed, and ended the conversation.

I pushed the heavy door open, and walked to my room, scowling.

"What`s her problem?"Benehime asked.

Zane shrugged, plopping down on the couch.

"Would you like something to eat?"Sarah offered.

"I`ll eat later."He sighed, closing his eyes.

The next two days flew by like nothing, and soon, we were sitting in a small room, waiting to be called in for our evaluation.

"Carli Pettyjohn"A robotic voice said.

I stood up, and the metal door opened for me.

"Knock em` dead."Zane smiled.

"You too."I sighed, walking in, and leaving him alone.

I looked up at the balcony, where the GameMakers sat, conversing lightly.

"Carli Pettyjohn, District 3."I said, loud enough to catch their attention.

The head GameMaker nodded at me.

I walked over to the knife throwing station, and grabbed half a dozen blades, then turned to the targets.

I took a deep breath, and quickly launched all the knives into the training dummies, each blade hitting the bullseye on a different dummy.

Murmurs of apporval rose from the GameMakers.

I grabbed the only bow in the room, and an arrow, then took my stance.

After taking aim for a moment, I let go, watching the arrow fly, and hit the bullseye right next to one of the knives.

"Thank you."The head GameMaker said, dismissing me.

I rush back upto the room to take a hot shower, and release all the emotions that have built up in the past few days.

I sat under the stream of hot water, sobbing my eyes out.

"Carli! They`re about to broadcast the scores!"Sarah knocked on the door.

"I`ll be out in a minute!"I said, my voice making it obvious that I had been crying.

I turned the water off, and stepped onto a metal plate, which blow dryed my entire body clean.

I put my purple gown on once more, and walked into the living room, where everyone was gathered around the tv.

I sat down on the floor, wiping away any remains of my emotional breakdown in the shower with my arm.

Zane plopped down next to me, sipping a glass of milk.

Celeste Madrial, the official announcer for the Hunger Games, sat next to Brion Steppe, the official interveiwer who I`d have to meet tomorrow.

"From District 1- Sam Trilling, with a score of 10!"Brion said as a picture of Sam flashed across the screen behind them, along with the number '10'

We tuned out District 2, and began listening for us.

"Zane Neiderer, District 3, with score of eleven! Wow! Isn`t that something?"Celeste turned to Brion, who chuckled.

"Nothing compared to his fellow tribute. Carli Pettyjohn, with a score of twelve!"He said in surprise.

"Twelve!"Sarah squealed, jumping up.

"Nice!"Benehime grinned, patting my shoulder.

"Way to go."Zane smirked.

"Perfect~!"Oscar enthused, ruffling my hair.

I smiled.

"Well, I`ve seen enough."Benehime sighed, reaching for the remote.

"No! We`d better find out what we`re up against."I said, shaking my head.

"Whatever."She sighed, sitting back down.

So we sat round the tv, watching the scores fly by, and trying to remember what we saw the tribute do during training.

As we sat through the scores, one girl caught my attention.

"Kaycee Stype, District 9, with a score of eight!"Celeste enthused, adjusting her neon pink wig.

I looked at the picture of Kaycee. She had silver-blonde hair, with blue tips. The smile on her face illuminated her blue eyes.

Then, before I could analyze any farther, her picture was gone, and the boy from District 10 was flashed up in her place.

I sighed, completely oblivious to the scores of Districts 11 and 12.

"You`d better watch out for the boy from 10. He pulled an eleven."Benehime said.

"Whatever."I sighed, going back to my room, and throwing myself into bed.

I passed out moments later, and when I awoke, there was only n hour until the interveiws.

"Why the hell didn`t you wake me up earlier?"I exclaimed.

"Dont worry so much. We have plenty of time."Benehime scowled.

"Ah, there she is~!"Oscar enthused, leading me and my prep team to my bathroom, not even giving me time to eat.

My prep team edgarly plucked any hairs that had decided to grow back, then dusted my entire body with a powder that made me shimmer.

Then they rushed me into a silver dress which went to my knees in the front, but trailed out behind me in the back.

This time, instead of a circut board look, golden lines swirled into zeros and ones, replicating computer code. There weren`t sleeves, but long pieces of the fabric flowing from the sides of the dress, that were held to my wrists by a loop on the ends.

"Another beautiful gown."I smiled, hugging Oscar.

"Honey, it`s not the gown that`s beautiful."He smiled back.

My shoulders and neck were, again, tatooed to match the pattern on the dress.

Zane was, again, dressed similarly.

"Big smiles, head high, be honest, and shine~!"Sarah enthused, urging us onto the elevator.

Oscar pressed a button on the cuff of Zane`s jacket, and the gold designs on both of us began to glow, just like the first time.

Zane took my hand, and grinned.

Soon, we were lined up down a corridor leading upto the stage, where two chairs sat, one occupied by Brion Steppe, who was dressed in his usual white suit with neon speckles, and the other occupied by Lia Nellae of District 1.

She looked stunning in her flowing yellow gown with silver accents here and there.

"So, Lia, what do you plan to do in the Arena?"Brion asked.

"Kill them all."She said, smiling.

The crowd laughed a little.

"Of course."Brion smiled.

After nearly fifteen minutes of hearing the crowd gush over Districts 1 and 2, I was called to the stage.

As soon as I stepped into sight, the crowd went crazy.

"You look stunning! Sit, sit!"Brion urged, patting the empty chair.

I sat down, and smiled at the crowd.

"That was quite an entrance you made at the opening ceremonies."He said, watching the lights on my gown flicker softly.

"Yeah, well."I said, embarassed.

"You`re stylists were quite amazing. Let`s get a hand for Oscar!"He exclaimed, and the cameras turned to Oscar just long enough for him to give a bow.

"Yeah, Oscar is amazing. He makes the prettiest dresses ever!"I enthused, standing up, and twirling once.

The crowd cheered loudly, and I smiled, falling back into my chair, dizzy.

"Now, onto a more serious question. When you stepped up for Zane`s sister, what were you thinking?"He asked.

"Well, I was thinking that I didn`t want to see someone so young pulled from their childhood to fight to the death."I said.

A wave of "awws" and raised from the crowd.

"I see. Now, how do you feel about your fellow tribute, Zane Neiderer?"He rested his elbows on his knees.

"Zane? Oh, I hate him. I hate everything about him. His eyes, his hair, his voice. I hate it all. I want him to vanish, and if I have to be the one to make that happen, then so be it!"I exclaimed, sending the crowd back into cheers.

The buzzer sounded, and I rushed off the stage, shoving past Zane as he took his place on the stage.

"Well, Zane Neiderer of District 3, how does it feel to be here, in the Capitol?"Brion asked, avoiding any mention of me.

"I love it. It`s very different from our district. The foods are so delicious, and the people colorful. I wish I never had to leave."Zane smiled, and the crowd replied with a wave of applause.

"Of course, of course. Going back to the montion of your sister, how did you feel when her name was drawn?"Brion continued.

"Well, I felt like someone had smashed my heart. My sister is one of the only people who care about me, so I couldn`t imagine living without her. If Carli hadn`t voulenteered...well, I would`ve had to kill myself right then and there."Zane said seriously, looking at his shoes.

This time, the crowd remained silent.

"I see. Now, I understand if you don`t want to answer this, but how do you feel twords your fellow Tribute, Carli?"Brion asked, awaiting the answer.

"Well...It`s a shame that she hates my guts, because honestly...I love her more than anything."Zane sighed, sitting back in his chair.

A wave of gasps rose from the crowd of colorful Capitol citizens.

"What?"I exclaimed from the sitting room, cheeks burning.

To Be Continued...


End file.
